An Arrangement was Made

Chapter 30: Garage Sale

"So how did it go?" Charlie asked. She had been standing in the hallway, anxiously waiting for her dad to come out.

"Ehhhhhhhhhh. Ehhhhhhh... You know, it could have gone worse."

"I guess he didn't accept your apology then."

"Oh, I completely forgot to do that."

"What did you say to him then?"

"...That's a good question. I don't remember." And he meant that. Genuinely.

"Dad!"

"What?"

"Dad." Charlie put her face in her hands. This wasn't helping.

"I'm starting to think that I might have a mild case of dementia. I should probably go to the doctor and get checked out but it's just so frustrating to have to make an appointment-" Lucifer's words faded into the background and soon her brain had drowned them out entirely. She didn't feel connected to her body anymore, or really to anything. Her eyes were still processing information, but she wasn't truly seeing anything. She felt kind of like a potted plant. No sight, no sound, no feelings. Just existing.

"And then I was like, 'Why do I need insurance?! I'm the king of Hell! I could pay in solid gold Egyptian sculpture if I wanted to. Why can't I pay out of pocket? Why do I have to subscribe to a third party company just for the pleasure of being allowed to still have to pay money?"

"What are we talking about?" Charlie asked, now roused from her dissociation.

"Did you not get any of that?"

"No."

"Did you take your meds?"

"Yeah but I didn't take a whole pill. I'll go do that."

"Cool cool." A silent moment passed. "So um. We agreed he wouldn't hurt you or any of your friends. I'm pretty sure."

"Thanks Dad." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I really needed that."

"Do you uh...need anything else?"

I need you to be here. I need you to stay. "No. I think I'm alright." Please don't leave me. I can't do this alone. I need you.

"Okay." She doesn't need me. I'll just make it worse. I should go now before I ruin everything again. "OH I LEFT THE OVEN ON! OH SHIT!" The little man ran to his car as fast as his legs would carry him. The last thing he needed right now was to set his house on fire.

"Bye Dad." She whispered to herself. "It's okay. He has things to do." But it didn't make it feel any better.

-

Lute had decided to move. She had been accepted for a job opportunity as Sera's personal assistant. The position had opened up recently. Lute had applied for it immediately and to her surprise, had actually gotten the job. The commute from her house to Sera's office building was longer than she liked, so she had decided to move to an apartment in the city. A house this size would be better suited to a family anyway.

She had systematically sorted things into different categories. Necessities, optional wants, give away, and garbage. From there she started packing, labeling each box with the room it would need to go in. Kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom. She could give the majority of her furniture away. The apartment she was moving to was already furnished.

"How am I going to get rid of all of this?" Maybe a yard sale. "How do I do a yard sale? It can't be...can't be that hard right?"

She pulled out her phone. "How...to do.. Yard sale." The AI summary at the top was useless. She hated that stupid AI summary. She clicked on the first non-sponsored website.